The present invention relates generally to plating and etching, and, more specifically, to a fixture for supporting a workpiece in a plating or etching cell.
Electroplating is a common process for depositing a thin film of metal or alloy on a workpiece article such as various electronic components for example. In electroplating, the article is placed in a suitable electrolyte bath containing ions of a metal to be deposited. The article forms a cathode which is connected to the negative terminal of a power supply, and a suitable anode is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply. Electrical current flows between the anode and cathode through the electrolyte, and metal is deposited on the article by an electrochemical reaction.
Metal deposition on the workpiece may also be accomplished by electroless plating without using a power supply, cathode, and anode. And, workpieces may be etched using either electroetching employing a power supply, or chemical etching without providing a power supply.
In these exemplary processes, the workpiece must be suitably positioned in the processing cells for ensuring uniform plating or etching as desired. In the parent application cross referenced above, an exemplary "Vertical Paddle Plating Cell" (VPPC) is disclosed wherein the workpiece is held in a fixture and suspended in the plating cell for electrodeposition for example. The workpiece fixture introduced therein is the subject of the present application.